The MTA has begun quietly building a second train platform at the Hampton Bays station on Long Island to help move crowds to and from the 2026 US Open golf tournament at Shinnecock Hills.
Long Island Rail Road President Rob Free confirmed the project at Monday’s LIRR committee meeting, after it was first reported by the Southampton Press.
“We’re still constructing it. That’s why we’re not mentioning it yet,” Free told board members, adding that the main goal is to have it ready for the tournament in June.
Free said the extra platform is needed because the Montauk Branch east of Patchogue is mostly single track, about 72 miles out to Montauk. That means many eastbound and westbound trains have to “meet” at Hampton Bays to pass each other.
A second platform at the station will make those meets faster and give dispatchers more flexibility, especially when the US Open brings tens of thousands of extra South Fork riders, Free said.
He said the structure is a temporary platform for now but said it could be made permanent later using capital funding. The project aligns with longer‑term MTA “enhancements” on the South Shore, he added.
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